Burglary Rate Skyrocketing In South County

tidal wave of attempted and successful residential burglaries has struck the south Palm Beach County area since Jan. 1.

In Boca Raton and Boynton Beach, burglaries of homes jumped by about 90 percent for the first five weeks of 1985, compared with the same period last year.

In the unincorporated areas west of Boynton Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach, residential burglaries have almost tripled in the first five weeks of 1984 -- 149 this year versus 53 last year.

``I cannot remember ever seeing such a rash of burglaries in this area,`` sheriff`s Detective Mark James said.

``Since the beginning of the year we have been getting swamped,`` James said, adding, ``My stomach has been in knots over these burglaries. It has really been bugging me. I want these guys bad.``

Delray Beach is out of step with its neighbors, however. For the first five weeks of 1985, residential burglaries decreased by 21 percent over last year, said Delray crime analyst Sgt. Marc Woods.

But, Woods said, Delray Beach police tightened security after the city suffered a rash of burglaries towards the end of 1984.

``When we saw we had a problem, extra patrols and details were ordered. With us being very visible in the problem areas, we probably displaced the criminal element to the west, south and north of us,`` Woods said.

Wherever they have come from, the burglars are causing major problems for police and local residents in the south county area.

``I have never seen anything like this,`` said Boca Raton police Sgt. Mike Knoll, adding the latest data suggests the problem is getting worse.

In January 1985, Boca Raton had 74 home burglaries versus 39 in January 1984. ``We`ve had 25 residential burglaries in the first week in February,`` including many in northwest Boca, Knoll said.

Knoll described the thieves as ``a better class of burglar. One guy removed a window to get in, then put the window back exactly the way he found it when he left. This is an unusual type of burglar.``

Police reports show that, in some cases, the burglars actually dismantled an alarm system, either before coming in or after getting in, without tripping the system.

Usually they broke a window, reached in and unlocked an outside door, records show. They also cut porch screens then lifted sliding glass doors off their tracks to get in.

Generally the attacks have come in the more affluent, upper-middle-class to wealthy developments, often striking several homes in one development on one night.

Burglars tried to break into 28 homes in the Las Verdes development west of Delray Beach 10 days ago, but only got into about six, police said.

Last week, nine homes in Limetree Court west of Boynton Beach and five homes in Indian Springs were hit.

Other target areas have been along St. Andrews Boulevard west of Boca Raton and Timbercreek in Boca Raton.

The dollar value of cash and merchandise reported stolen ranges from $25 to a high of $75,000 in cash and jewelry stolen from a home in the Boca Grove development west of Boca Raton.

Lewis said, however, that some of the city`s increase is probably because of new homes built in northwest Boynton Beach. But, he added quickly, his records also show burglary reports have come from all over the city.

This pattern suggests the thieves are professional and are seeking cash, expensive jewelry and other easy-to-carry valuables, said sheriff`s Detective William Kussler, who is investigating the Las Verdes burglaries.

But some, like Lewis, blame much of the problem ``on economics and drugs.``

Many of the break-ins have come at night, police said. In these, the burglars get in through sliding glass doors, rear, side or garage windows. They have walked about freely in people`s bedrooms looking for money and jewelry while the residents slept.

Mike Katz and his wife were asleep Monday night and did not hear intruders remove a sliding glass door from its track, walk into their Indian Springs bedroom and remove their wallets and some jewelry. They found their wallets, with only cash missing, outside their home the next morning.

``I always thought this kind of thing only happened to the other guy, not to me,`` said Katz, who retired here from Memphis, Tenn.

Despite the break-in, Katz said, ``I still feel safe here in my home. The detective told me some things I can do to prevent this.``

Grethel Fisher and her son Brian, 17, were shaken after burglars entered their home in Boca Grove in the predawn hours of Friday, Feb. 1. The Fishers` burglar alarm system was not turned on that night.

``My mom was really shaken up that they walked right into her bedroom while she was sleeping,`` Brian Fisher said.